Vail Daily letters to the editor

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Just the best

I was recently scheduled to have a total shoulder reversal, an obviously complex and painful surgery. Prior to the surgery, I spent time researching the best doctors and hospitals across the country and found Dr. Peter Millett and the Vail Valley Medical Center. I traveled from Iowa to have Dr. Millett and his professional team conduct my surgery.

My surgery went exceptionally well, and the compassionate care I received from doctors and staff was remarkable. I could not have been happier with the outcome and care I received.

I want to sincerely thank Dr. Peter Millett, Steadman Clinic staff, Vail Valley Medical Center pre-surgical planning nurses, operating room staff, pre-operative nurses, PACU nurses, anesthesiologist Dr. Lindsey Nelson, patient care nurses, care techs, and my therapy team at Howard Head Sports Medicine. Everyone at the medical center who participated with my care was exceptional. I know there were many others who made my stay one of the best, thank you from Iowa!

Richard Arnold

Iowa State Representative

Great reunion

Thank you to the committee of Pioneer Weekend for its fine organization of events. It was a wonderful reunion of Vailites. It was a wonderful opportunity to see friends from 1969 (in my case) and working in Gorsuch Ltd., which was the nucleus of town, meeting many people.

The registration site was perfect. The brunch at Los Amigos was a very good opportunity to see more friends. The banquet was overwhelming with many more Vailites to hug and thank for their presence.

Thank you again for a wonderful 50th anniversary.

Lucie McGlinn

Boy who cried, 'Bear!'

From the perspective of someone who is neutral in the case of the bear shooting and all the responses it got, I have some things I would like to bring to light.

First, my family and I also are Gypsum-Eagle natives, for over 100 years, and I hate to break it to you, but this is not the worst year for bears coming into town. This is routine this time of year, every year, for the bears to be coming closer and even into town, looking for easy access to more food.

Why, just to justify someone shooting one, do people have to start exaggerating?

I happen to know Ron, Theresa, Josh and Joe, as well, and no offense to you guys, but all the stories seem a bit forced and implausible to me.

For one thing, I live just a few houses away from Ron and Theresa Ladenburger in Gypsum, and the bears are also in my yard and trees every night, as well.

But for bears that are supposedly so unconcerned by humans, they sure are terrified of my two miniature dogs!

And Ronnie, let's not forget how close you were to that bear taking pictures of him when he swiped at you.

If you get that close to a wild animal and it feels threatened, it will behave aggressively, just as Joe did when you said he felt threatened. You, of all people, should know that.

I don't remember you complaining when you got those great shots!

If you guys were so threatened by these bears and were told by a game officer that if you "felt physically threatened by the bear, that you could shoot and kill it," then why didn't you? Thing is, if a bear was literally in fact ripping through my door trying to get in, I'd shoot it, and that's a fact.

What I do know is that the fact that you are all blaming the people of the town for the bears not being afraid is a little asinine considering we live in the Rocky Mountains. I don't hear complaining when there's a cow elk and her calf in someone's yard and people aren't scaring them off. If you think a cow elk won't kill you to protect her calf, you're dead wrong!

The simple fact is that the bears have to deal with us just as we do them, and for the most part, if you don't bother them, they won't bother you.

Now don't get me wrong. In no way am I saying that what Joe did was right or wrong. Like I said, I'm neutral. I wasn't there, and neither was anyone else, so we don't know exactly what happened.

I've heard different versions of the story. The one thing I can state is that unless the bear was in fact charging Joe, he probably could have just scared it away with a single gunshot in the air (especially considering he had the time to go get his gun, even if it was just inside the door).

Whether it was justified or not depends on the actual situation, although the fact that the only people saying he did the right thing are his two best friends and one of their moms is interesting.

Everybody is entitled to voice their own opinion of the situation. But I must say the statements "saved the neighborhood" and "Joe is an Army veteran (come on, he was Army Reserve) and trained to protect the soldiers and civilians" seem a little over dramatic.